compensatory damages

noun

: money awarded to a victim to make up for an injury, damage, etc.
The patient sued for compensatory damages.

Examples of compensatory damages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In 2022, a Connecticut jury awarded the families $965 million in compensatory damages and a judge slapped on $473 million in punitive damages. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 The verdict could be reduced on appeal as the US Supreme Court has found that punitive damages should generally be no more than nine times compensatory damages. Reuters 14 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025 Todd is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025 Also on Monday, Tole filed a lawsuit against Sanchez and his employer, Fox Sports, for punitive and compensatory damages, CNN reported. Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensatory damages

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Cite this Entry

“Compensatory damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compensatory%20damages. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

compensatory damages

noun
: actual damages at damage 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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